The Blue Box
by Hanna Sedai
Summary: In which Slade's apprentice discovers a mysterious blue box on the Jump City pier one foggy night.


**Disclaimer: I REALLY don't own anyone. **

**A/N: Just a quick drabble. I needed to write something or else I'll go crazy, since I've been spending most of my waking hours on schoolwork. Because I'm an international student in the United Kingdom right now I thought that it would be fun to write this. Don't ask for more; there is none. **

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"The Blue Box"

There was time to spare before Slade would call him, make him break into a building and steal something. Robin—no, Dick, he wasn't really acting like Robin now—knew that he would be breaking into the Needle to steal some sort of weapon.

He stood on the pier, watching the fog roll into the bay, obscuring Titans Tower.

A curious whirring noise jolted him from his thoughts.

Dick turned, but saw no one on the boardwalk. However, there was something new. He squinted. A blue box. Was this part of an art exhibition? That hadn't been there last time he was down by the pier. He dismissed the thought. It didn't matter, whatever it was.

A man in a pinstripe suit sauntered down the boardwalk, humming a pop song as he stopped in front of Dick. His brown hair was done up in a sweeping quiff, his bright red converse popping out in the darkness.

"Hullo! Foggy night, isn't it?"

A British accent. How odd. Dick didn't respond. He looked resolutely out towards the fog, his arms over his chest. Talking to civilians was always a bad idea, especially considering his precarious situation. Besides, Slade could probably hear everything. As Dick waited for his communicator to ring, he noticed that the man hadn't yet moved away.

"You're a young guy. What are you doing out here all alone?" The man waved a hand in front of Dick's face. "Hullo?"

The man pulled on a pair of glasses, his pursing his lips as he studied Dick's face. To Dick's surprise, comprehension dawned on the man's face. He took off his glasses slowly, as though uncertain.

"Oh, is he telling you not to talk to me?"

Dick uncrossed his arms, not sure how to respond. The man made weird hand gestures towards his ears, finally reaching over and pulling the communicators out of Dick's ears when the younger man did nothing.

"Hey—"

"Shhh." The man closed his hands around the communicators. "I won't be long. I suppose you don't have much time either."

"Who are you?" Dick asked finally.

"The Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

"Ah, now you're getting the hang of it. I only stopped for bit. Didn't know why the TARDIS took me here until now."

Dick looked the man up-and-down again. Who was he?

"Have to say that I'm really sorry, chum," the Doctor said in a low, conversational tone. "It wasn't your fault. Don't take it too personally. Between you and me, I know the Big Guy in Gotham is watching."

"I need to go."

Dick turned around, not sure how to feel. Whoever this guy was, he knew that Robin was trapped with Slade. Somehow, though, he felt oddly comfortable speaking to this man about it. It was as though the Doctor had always been his confidential friend.

"You've got good friends," said the Doctor. "You can beat him."

"I already tried. He's got me locked in pretty tight," Dick replied, turning around. "How can I beat him? I tried, I can't. I don't matter. "

"I've never met anyone in all of space and time who didn't matter," the Doctor said quietly. "Don't think that because you're beat now you'll never win again. You matter, Dick Grayson, in more ways than you can possibly imagine."

Dick stared. Part of him wanted to demand how the Doctor knew his name, how he knew about this horrible situation, but another part of him felt relieved. After everything that had happened—Slade threatening to kill his friends, the blackmail—he needed to hear those words. He needed to hear that he wasn't a failure, that he wasn't a bad person for working for Slade.

"Put these back in, or else he'll know." The Doctor handed Dick the communicator. "Well, allons-y! I have things to do, places to see! I'll pop in later! It'll be great to see you in blue!"

"What?"

"Robin." Slade's voice. "Who are you talking to?"

Dick watched the Doctor go, almost forgetting to respond to Slade. "No one. Just myself."

As he listened to Slade's instructions Dick walked away. If he wandered back here tomorrow night, would the mysterious blue box and the man in the pinstripe suit return?


End file.
